Wǒ de yuèliàng, wǒ de tiānkōng (My Moon, My Sky)
by Dina Gorgon
Summary: Sybella, AKA Sybil, has had a major motto in her life as a bounty hunter: Trust no one, slay all.When she is given a mission and boards Serenity, she finds her world immersed into narrow escapes from the Alliance and Reavers, smuggling missions, and torn alliances.Oh yeah, that's not to mention that intriguing little tidbit known as Jayne Cobb. Don't own any of this except my OCs.
1. Prologue (Sybella)

Hey, hey, hey! Wassup y'all, it's yo' girl, Dina G, back with another story...this time from one of my fave series ever!

* * *

**Prologue (Sybella)**

"And you have all information needed, yes?" a man's reedy, thickly accented—Russian, maybe?—voice called out to me. This was, despite the latter description, was one of the most dangerous people I ever had the pleasure of following orders from. He actually took time to read the writings of a brutal dictator—a refreshing scripture I myself read at night to relax.

"Yes, Sir!" My response was quick and sharp to show I understood and was ready to carry out any orders without the slightest of hesitation. As if I ever hesitated when it came to this. But I wondered if my sharp response may have set this man off as he was not a man of leniency or patience whatsoever—low tolerance, if put simpler.

"Indeed you may seem," my client rasped, "but remember, child, fail me and you will end up as this one did." He motioned to his bodyguards who opened a door to my left, revealing a bloody, grotesque, recently-clawed-at hunk of meat I was pretty sure used to be a man.

Poor unfortunate guy. I pitied him. Not really.

"I understand your conditions, but do not worry," I said with a wink. "To date, no one has _ever_ escaped me!"

"Hmm…reputation…is all only talk to me," he coughed into his hand. "You must prove it to me that you can do this as…" He smiled sadistically as if tying a noose around my neck. "…you **ARE** very close to you target this time, are you not?"

I stiffened, my mask of calm composure fading a little. "That is…irrelevant…uh, Sir."

He smiled brighter still. "Ah, I see this will make a greater challenge for you to carry you mission, yes?"

"I…uh…" I secretly wished I could smack myself, but it is true what they say…no one could ever hope to hide a secret from this man….all the more reason to fear him. "I…" I cleared my throat. "I sincerely doubt your statement's verity, sir." I wondered if it was just a family affliction or if it was just me who always walked within the shadow of risk.

"Very well, go and remember: Do not fail me," my client ordered, looking disappointed.

I nodded and bowed, my traditional honorific to the client—especially this one—before his bodyguards escorted me out.

As I neared the exit way towards my pod, I shook them off. They nodded, well aware of how I was able to dispatch all of them if it came to it, and let me leave.

As I walked toward my ship, the picture of my target drifted from my pocket flying off to somewhere, but it was irrelevant, I knew that face, memorized it's every feature for it was the one who betrayed me once before: _Malcolm Reynolds._

* * *

Just testing this...maybe delete it if nothing flies but, you know...it might actually work! Keep your fingers crossed m'peeps!


	2. Zhāng 1

**Chapter I (Sybella)**

She moved into front of my group with her bright, _ugh,_ sunny smile plastered onto her face. "Hi everyone, I'm Kaylee Tam, but you all can call me Kaylee. Welcome aboard the firefly transporter _Serenity_! Pay at the doorway to Captain Mal, unmarked credits please, and follow my husband, Simon, to your quarters. Leave you belongings with Jayne over there—don't worry, it'll all be safe with _him_ of all people—and well, have a great voyage guys!" She practically bounced over to the next group of five and repeated the message, first in English, then repeated the whole _gorram_ statement Chinese.

I rolled my eyes and fidgeted with my hood, wondering if my reckless streak would show its face in _this_ mission of all things.

I was wearing a long black cloak over my clothing, which was black, leather, knee-high boots, something many colonists called a mini-tank-top, and a mini-skirt I'd made myself—as the rest of my clothing was since my home planet was pretty much one of the poorest there was—from a thick, but denim-like sack cloth I'd stolen from a cargo bay from a ship that'd come to home a long time ago before I became a bounty hunter.

On my left thigh was a holster holding my simple handgun, a modified revolver specifically. In one of my bags was a custom Callahan full-bore auto-lock, double cartridge with a thorough gauge I'd made myself at the age of fifteen and nicknamed _Roberto._ I'd only made one other gun like it, but only the creator of this universe is the only one who would know where it's gone off to now, though I wouldn't really mind if I saw it again. From the look of things and this Jayne Mrs. Tam had referred to, I was going to have to retrieve _Roberto_ from the cargo hold after wards.

I stepped lightly onto the ship, awed at its beauty. Sure it looked like a bunch of _fei-oo_, old, beat up and whatnot, but it was pretty well-cared for, the way this ship shined despite the dullness of the metal. I walked toward the place to pay for the voyage. The man there seemed like the captain sort: my man.

"Hello, Malcolm," I smiled slightly, handing over unmarked credits to pay for my fare. "Long time, no see; how have you been?"

A woman nearby, a Companion, or in my words fanciful whore, glared at me like I was—some kind of threat? Considering what my purpose here was, I couldn't truly blame her for thinking so.

Malcolm stared at me, eyes narrowing in suspicion and curiosity. "Okay, imma ask you, have we met…? Before this, I mean."

_Old habits die hard, Malcolm,_ I thought disdainfully. "Yes," I told him. "But I'd be very much obliged if you would just keep quiet about it for now."

"Prove it," he scoffed, taking credits from another passenger. "What makes you think I'd know you from somewhere? Cause there was this other woman like that, and she really gave me a hard time!"

I laughed quietly _Fool, how could you have forgotten the mere sound of my voice?_ I took off my hood.

His reaction was most amusing. His face paled and he stumbled back, gasping for breath as if he'd seen a specter. Could I blame him for that? No, he'd thought I was dead this whole time, most likely.

"Mal!" the Companion rushed to his side to steady him. She turned and glared at me. "What did you do to him?!"

"Nothing a _whore_ like you could ever hope to understand," I laughed, crossing my arms. "Considering your education level, that is... what would it be, _hmm?_ Less than pre-education?"

She glanced helplessly at Malcolm as if hoping he'd defend her honor or something. I didn't care less if he did; it _would_ make an easier job on me considering the thin blades hidden in each of my gloves. As if he could ever fight me off. As if he could ever hope to beat me in a fight in the first place!

"Inara," he told the woman, contrary to my belief. "Prepare the best guest room we have available."

"But, Mal, I—" she protested.

"You heard the man," I laughed. "Do it." I turned the power of my glare to meet hers. She yielded almost instantly, after all, it is hard to look a hardened killer in the eye.

She sulked off and a dark-skinned woman walked up to Malcolm. "Captain, everyone has boarded, the ship is ready to take off—" She looked at me, then Malcolm, then me. "Another passenger...Sir?" She raised an eyebrow.

**"VIP** passenger, Zoe," he shook off prior shock. He obviously loved being addressed as 'sir' or he wouldn't have that proud face of his he had on right now.

Zoe looked at me as if wanting to ask questions, but knew better not to. "Alright then, would you like to take your luggage?" She motioned to my bags. "I—"

"Aw, that's my job, remember, Zoe?"

I turned and found myself facing the chest of a virtually giant of a man. On pure instinct, I took a defensive position, ready to slide out my blades if needed, body tensed in case I needed to spring for his throat. I knew I could take no mere chance at letting him off lightly; this man was dangerous.

"Jayne, seriously?" Malcolm complained, pushing the man lightly. "You just my—"

I coughed threateningly, glaring fiercely.

"My VIP passenger," Malcolm jolted and corrected himself frantically. "_Our_, VIP passenger."

Jayne looked down at me, grinned, and ruffled my hair. "Real beauty, eh?"

I rolled my eyes. I'll admit this much, I was beautiful for a person coming from a starved-out planet like mine and to most of the dogs who soar through the endless frontier, but that was exactly what I hated about myself the most.

"Isn't Jayne a _girl's_ name?" I snapped, hoping his temper would give me an excuse to fight. Yeah, as an assassin that would be pretty stupid to go around picking fights at random, but this man…I don't know…he gave me a feeling of…excessive aggression as far as I could tell.

"Ha!" he laughed much to my disappointment. "Come over to my quarters later on and I'll show you I got—"

"Jayne!" Malcolm interrupted. "Talk like that that to her again and I'll _space_ you."

I mentally flinched, knowing that spacing was one of the worst ways to be killed by; it's just plain dishonorable to die that by those means.

Apparently, Jayne knew that too, because he paled, grabbed my bags, and practically fled up the stairs like an Alliance ship from Reavers.

"Sorry about that," Malcolm smiled nervously. "He's just a little…uh—"

"I'm fine with that," I said, offering my arm. "Take me to my room?"

"Y-yeah," Malcolm practically fell on his was toward me—who trips while walking towards a person a mere two, three yards away?—and took hold of my arm like a true gentleman. He led to the door holding it open for me, and then directed me to my quarters.

* * *

"This is the _best_ room that you can offer me?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

The room was dusty, the walls cracked in places and looking as if an escapee from an asylum had resided here. The bed was a twisted hunk of metal with a ripped mattress. Well, compared to other places I had slept in during my travels throughout the cosmos, this was almost as good as home so I couldn't really complain much.

"Yeah…um," Malcolm looked embarrassed. "This…I mean, _Serenity_ is really old and—"

"She's a real piece of _fei-oo _alright," I commented bluntly, causing him to stiffen indignantly. "Real crappy and all but she's obviously well-loved and under very high maintenance." I took a deep breath, inhaling the room's dusty air and threw my bags in unceremoniously.

"Ha!" Malcolm smiled. "That's the girl I knew!"

I froze and turned to look him in the eye. "She was ten, Malcolm. You left her when she was _ten_."

Noting the sudden tension between us, Malcolm back away cautiously as if walking through a minefield.

"But still," I whispered, turning away. "You haven't lost that _gorram_ taste of freedom of yours, now have you?"

He laughed but was still wary of the wall of ice I had formed between us.

"You should have seen the look on her face," I chuckled, leaning on the wall. "Imagine that poor girl's surprise when she wakes up in the middle of the night, looks to her bedside for support, and finds the one person she had centered her universe around was gone." I shook my head, smiling stupidly.

"She?" Malcolm scoffed. "That girl…that girl was you, Ella-"

"Don't call me that name!" I yelled, clenching my fists so hard, blood pour from little holes my dug in nails made in my palms. I did not mind the pain. I felt none.

He froze in fear and surprise at my dangerously raised tone.

"I'm not the same idiotic girl you once knew in that other life I cast behind, remember that always!" My tone softened. "I go by Sybil now."

He nodded. "Alright, don't get your _gorram_ panties in a bunch. Yeesh. Goodnight, sit tight." He turned and began to walk away.

I nodded. I began to step in, but paused and with a grin, I called to him saying, "And don't let the Reavers bite!"

I heard his warm laughter fade off as the distance between us grew. As soon as its resonance was fully gone, my emotions slipped from my face, an expressionless mask forming. I knew the woman named Zoe had been watching the two of us in the hall, and if it weren't for her, I would have struck.

_I am sorry, _Malcolm, I thought. _If only you hadn't crossed the both of us! Now, I am very afraid you will have to pay the piper…you and your crew!_

* * *

_Hmmm._ Still ain't too sure I want to continue this...goin' kinda slow...what say you guys? Dina G., out.


	3. Zhāng 2

OMG, peeps, I am soooooooo sorry I didn't update for, like, a real long time, so I hopes y'all can forgive me. Now, onward!

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**Chapter Two (Jayne)**

_Two Months later_

Man, I tell ya, I ain't never been hit by a girl on the first sight of her. Well, okay, there _was_ this one girl, Mal's wife or somethin', but still this pretty lady—can you even call her a lady?—was obviously a trained killer: the look in her eyes, her defense position, the way she tried to set me off; I can tell ya she is totally reckless, insane, murderous, and I figure I now got her on my targetin' radar.

I was up and awake at night, not bein' able to sleep, so I get up and step outta my room right when the all-call bell announced lights out. And there she were.

And what a sight for sore eyes was she; in all my times I've seen her, she'd never looked any better than now. She'd just come outta her room, her nightgown almost transparent, which was totally fine with me and my hormones, her hair out of her ponytail, falling like some smooth waterfall down her small shoulders. Ain't even knowed I was starin' 'til she damn went and turned 'round. She even made that special face for me, the Oh-my-God-that-ruttin'-_wángbā-dàn_-is-looking-right-at-me look.

"Hey," I grinned. "What're you—?"

Fast as lightning, she'd run to the opposite wall, leapt off using it for momentum, and jumped onto my shoulders, causin' me to slam into the wall behind me, pressin' a blade against my throat.

Tense, long seconds past and I laughed.

She jolted and jumped down. She glared with them hypnotyzin' green eyes of hers. "What are you—?" she snapped.

I just kept on laughin'. "You thought I was gonna actually scream and beg for your mercy, right?"

She hesitated. "In all honesty…yeah, actually." She untensed. "How did you know?"

I grinned. "I was trained in them killin' arts too, ya know."

Her breath sucked in sharply, a shiver runnin' down my spine. "I—! How did you—?"

"Well that pretty look in your eyes tells all, girlie," I answered her, holdin' her at the chin slightly so I could look her plainly in the eyes. "That and the way you tried to get me to scream like an Alliance soldier."

She glared, looking me over like she was decidin' whether or not she should kill me. I'd like to see her try me out in more than ways than one. "You're pretty cocky, Mr.—"

"Cobb," I reached over and shook her hand without askin'. "Jayne Cobb."

"Sybil," she grimaced. "Hard grip you have…Cobb."

"You know what they say," I smirked, letting her go. "To get a good strangled kill—"

"—it mean a good grip," she finished, flashing a small, white-toothed smile. "I see you aren't as…dull as I thought. It'd be a real—"

"How far'd ya go in killin'?" I asked her before she could say anything all mushy-like.

She didn't answer me but just narrowed her camo-green eyes. She darted forwards; a flash of movement came from her hands, and ran through some person behind me who collapsed with a grunt of pain.

I turned. "Hey, I know that dude!" I checked him over just to make sure I was right. "Yep, definitely him."

"You do?" Sybil asked, raisin' an eyebrow.

"Yeah," I told her. "He's the one with all the cool stuff in his luggage! Let's hide the body and raid his stuff!" I started forward then stopped. 'Uh…how's 'bout you clean the blood up and I take care of the body?"

She sighed. "Fine." She opened a compartment on the wall, pulled out a vacuum, and bent down, her slim body with noticeable curves showin' through her nightdress as she began to clean up the spilled mess. She froze then glared up at me. "Are you not going to help?"

"'Are you not gonna help'?" I mimicked with falsetto. I bent down, reachin' for the dead guy. Fast as Vera, my best gun, shoots, I grabbed her arm and pulled her towards me, planting one on her cheek. Knowing the instant danger I was in, I lifted the dead guy and jumped. She'd swung some kinda knife at the spot where I'd been.

"Do that again," Sybil growled, slippin' the knife back into her glove. "And I'll splatter your guts; I do not care what Malcolm would think of me if I did."

"Mal?' I blinked. "Ya know the Cap?"

"We're…close," she explained slowly. Sybil shook her head. "Never mind, where'll you dump the body?"

"Um…" I laughed. "Shoot, I ain't even thought of that yet!"

"Let's space him," she grinned as she stood up.

I froze in surprise, a slow smile creepin' into my face. "Th-that…" I exhaled. "Ya know, that just might work!"

I heaved the guy into my shoulder and grabbed her hand, I let go the instant she damn went and tensed. "Sorry 'bout that."

_She_ grabbed _my_ hand this time. "It's alright, I don't really know my way around here very well. Can you…give me a private tour?" She smiled.

I laughed and grabbed her other hand which was sneaking towards my back. "The disarmin' technique. "Flirt with the person to distract 'em, then slit the jugular vein startin' from the back of the neck." I grinned. "Don't think I ain't done that before!"

Sybil stopped smiling. "You're…good, Mr. Cobb, I'll unwillingly give you that much."

I let go and walked forwards a few paces. "I know I am!" I walked faster, this time headin' towards the luggage bay. "You comin'?"

Her face suddenly lit up like a kid at…what was it called, oh yeah: Christmas. "Oh! I call spacing him!"

"If you can beat me there!" I built up speed and charged down the stairs. Suddenly, I felt a slight amount of weight land on my back. "Hey," I laughed, lookin' back at her. "That's called cheatin'!"

"Not as much as racing with somebody who doesn't discern her way around here!" she laughed.

I looked to the side and saw how high we were, then took a risk and leapt off the stairway, taking us both to a freefall down below.

* * *

"…ayne? Yo, Jayne! Wake up!"

"M-Momma?" I squinted my eyes when I saw the suddenly bright light. "Aw, _gorramit_, it's Mattie again, ain't it?'

"Jayne," the hazy figure above me snapped. "You've called me a lot of names before, I'll tolerate that. "But callin' me 'Momma' is just plain stupid!" The figure turned into a pretty pissed-lookin' Mal.

"Ah!" I sat up real fast. "Reportin' for duty, Sir!" I gave a salute.

"Uh-huh," Mal nodded. "Mind explaining what you're doing with a _girl_ down here…_ALONE_?"

I looked to my side. Sybil was curled up at my side, her breathin' light. "Uh…Cap, I have no—?" I froze in mid-excuse. _Oh yeah…_

* * *

[_Flashback_]

* * *

Jayne let go of the body and pulled Sybil towards him, covering her small, lanky frame with his just before his back hit the ground with a _THUMP_, metal clattering from the impact.

Sybil coughed. "What did you just—?" She blushed, seeing the position they had landed in: her on top of Jayne, he knees on either side of him. "Uh…I'm-I apologize…" _Control yourself! Control yourself!_ She mentally chastised herself. She slipped off of him and pulled her nightdress down slightly to cover her bared legs.

"'S all right," Jayne grinned. "You ain't as heavy as you look!"

Sybil laughed once then turned to the ship's airlock. "Beautiful stars tonight…" Her eyes glazed over as she put a hand on the window. "All in a calm…_serenity_, in a way, burning in a bliss of their own without a single care they might—"

"What the _gorram_ hell are you sayin', woman?" Jayne rubbed his back. "Oh, Imma definitely feel that in the mornin'."

"Nothing," Sybil shook her head. "Well, go on; put the body in." She opened the first door.

"_Wǒ yào qù_," Jayne grinned cockily. "I'm goin'." He heaved the corpse in with little effort. "Shut the _gorram_ door, will ya?"

She did as she was told. Sybil paused; hand over the button to release the corpse. Her eyes widened. "Oops." The man was still alive.

"You knew he was still livin' didn't you?' Jayne laughed, peering in.

Her hand hovered just above the button, glancing over to the man who was now pounding on the door, trying to alert them he was in there. "Uh… do you want to…?"

Jayne gently moved his hand over hers and pressed down. "That answer enough?" he asked with a grin, noting how Sybil blushed lightly at his touch. He _was_, however, a bit surprised that she didn't try to kill him. The airlock opened and the man was swept out, body writhing and bloating, his screams inaudible as he blew apart.

Jayne pulled away after the _gorram_ show was over. "Bout time you head back to your room, Miss." He grinned. "There are mighty rough wolves out hear that might wanna _tā mā de_ you up."

Sybil smiled sadistically. "Ha! I sincerely doubt that gigantic wolf of yours would want to stalk this huntress out of all people!" She strode over to the nearest stack of crates and plopped down. "Regardless, I feel the need that I simply must stay here…I don't like my room anyways."

"Mighty cold here," Jayne smirked. "Imma join ya, but don't worry; I don't touch girls related to Mal in any way…eh, most of the time…"

"You'd best not," Sybil said, eyeing Jayne as he stretched out next to her. She shifted next to him, twisting to face him and propping her chin on her hand. "Tell me…you—no, your folks…they ever…sing you to sleep? When you were younger, of course."

"Eh…well, I can only remember the name of one," Jayne admitted. "Some happy religious tune…uh, sung at Inara's friend Nandi's funeral, long story, but…oh, yeah! _Amazin' Grace_, that's what it was!" He began to hum the tune for her, his voice a low, melodious sound, skipping several lines to fit his laziness:

(Link: watch?v=0TrdWKDWQnA -Zoom to minute 0:55 for the part I went at; kinda what I imagined but not with their original voice tones...man, I just wanted to add this, but it don't sound like _Jayne...sigh)_

_T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear. And Grace, my fears relieved. How precious did that Grace appear The hour I first believed._

Sybil joined him , her tender soprano mixing amazingly well with his strong baritone in a beautiful, two-part harmony.:

_My chains are gone, I've been set free My God, my savior; has ransomed me. And like a flood, his mercy reigns, Unending love, amazing grace_

_The Lord has promised good to me. His word my hope secures. He will my shield and portion be, As long as life endures._

___My chains are gone, I've been set free My God, my savior; has ransomed me. And like a flood, his mercy reigns, Unending love, amazing grace_

___The earth shall soon dissolve like snow ____The sun forbear to shine ____But God, who called me here below Will be forever mine Will be forever mine. You are forever mine_

Their eyelids began to droop; the first one succumbing to sleep was Sybil. Jayne looked over at her, making sure she was asleep. He contemplated her physical characteristics. Now that she was asleep and not as 'squirmy and bitchy', he found several components that were just…mesmerizing—her soft, chocolate-brown hair, her smooth, yet noticeable tantalizingly curvaceous body, and especially how peaceful and _pure_ she looked, her eyes closed and breaths coming out in small puffs, looking very much unlike a killer, but more like an innocent child.

To coincide with what he perceived, the very second she felt the warmth of his body when he drew near, she had unconsciously curled up into his arms, almost as if she were a lost child seeking shelter, shivering slightly.

Jayne froze._ Uh… _He shook his head with a grin_. Well I did warn her it could get gorram cold here!_ He carefully wrapped his arms around her. "_Wǎn'ān, měilì de,_" he whispered. He kissed her forehead once wrapped his arms around her before he, too, fell into the depths of sleep.

* * *

"Uh…" I glanced carefully at Mal. "She just…wanted to see the…stars, Cap. Then she didn't wanna go to her room for some _gorram_ reason and…asked me to stay here with her." _Mostly complete lie_, I thought, but, hey, you wouldn't blame me if Mal were lookin' at you like that, either. What was is supposed to say? _Oh, Mal, we went to space a passenger she killed, ain't that just nice?_

"Why were you so close to her then, _hmm_?" Mal raised an eyebrow. He totally did _not_ believe me.

"Uh, cuz she was she was cold," I shrugged, tryin' to seem innocent. A groan came from below.

"Uh…Cobb…?" Sybil sat up and rubbed her eyes. "What did you—AH!" she jumped up practically ten ruttin' feet when she saw Mal. "Ah, uh..." She cleared her throat and brought back the ice doll image. "Good morning, Malcolm."

"Did you hear what Jayne over there told me?" Mal asked. When she shook her head, he repeated my _gorram_ story. She raised an eyebrow and glanced at me occasionally (Yeah! Zoe should see this! I can say words with more than three syllables!) throughout the tale.

"Yes, I coincide with his story," she smiled, a knowin' look passed through her usually cold eyes. She eyed me carefully, then turned to face the Cap. "Yes, I had asked Cobb to accompany me. Was the situation so terribly wrong, _Mal_?"

Everybody flinched, yeah even me, at her deadly tone.

"N-no," Mal stammered, suddenly afraid of this—what?—4'9 high girl. In all my years with him, I ain't never seen the Captain like this…even when he was being tortured!

"Good," She stretched her arms. "So what is your situation?"

"Uh…we got a job," Mal answered carefully. Since when did he tell passengers our business?

"What is it?" I asked. _Gorramit_, I'd forgotten she was still there.

"Picking up—uh, cargo!" Mal obviously meant smugglin' drugs or somethin'.

"All passengers please return to your quarters," Zoe announced. "We are taking precautionary methods so we require you to remain in your rooms until further notification is admitted."

"That means you si—Sybil! Sybil," Mal corrected himself when she'd glared at him.

"I would be more than happy to assist," she crossed her arms. "Why—?"

"You can't."

I looked up. "Inara," I grinned.

She looked at me from her place at the foot of the stairway. "Jayne," she nodded. She turned to Sybil. "You are a mere passenger, why should you be allowed to—"

Sybil clenched her fists. "You rutting—" she growled.

"Actually," I interrupted, clamping my hand over her mouth before any real insults could get out... as much as I'd actually want to see a cat-fight. "She can come with us." I regretted sayin' it as soon as I saw the look on _his_ face.

"Jayne. Explanation. _NOW,"_ Mal growled threateningly.

"Well, she an' I could be a team, ya know?" I explained carefully. "She seems to be almost as good as I am!" I laughed. "Almost."

Sybil blushed as everybody gaped at her as soon as I'd said it. "I…uh…" I tell ya, she looked divine.

"That so?" Mal raised an eyebrow, watching her carefully as if he wanted to see if I was lyin'.

I nodded and grinned as Sybil smacked her forehead. "I promise I'll take real good care of her."

Mal sighed. "Fine, but if anything happens, be it you or some other man…" Mal ran his finger along his throat. "Copy?"

"Oh, I copy, Cap," I nodded, fully aware he don't mean decap—he meaned spacing.

"Mal, I don't think—" Inara began to protest.

"Oh, _bì zuǐ_, ya whore," Sybil shot at her.

I grinned and gave a low whistle. "Eee, Inara, she's' got it out for ya!"

Inara glared at me. "Mal—"

"Look, Inara," Mal told her, "if Sybil wants to, she go, _final_. Got it?"

She gave a last, venomous look, then marched off.

"Eh, don't mind her," I told Sybil. "She don't take too kindly to strangers." I leaned over closer 'til I could feel her sweet, cool breath on my face. I whispered, "especially girls who done know Mal…jealousy and all that, I think. Who knows how girls work?"

"If only she knew," Sybil snorted. "I think it best if I went and got Roberto."

"Roberto?" Zoe asked, comin' down the stairway, little Xǐ holdin' onto her momma's hand. "A friend of yours."

"Not at all, Mrs. Washburne," Sybil shook her head. "It's my Callahan gun."

Whoa, now she got my interest."Does it got a customized trigger, double cartridge and thorough gauge?" I asked curiously. (Man, I am on a roll today!)

She nodded. "Full-bore auto-lock."

"Hey, I got one, too!" I laughed as the crew began to prep for the mission. "Her name's Vera."

She stared at me in surprise. "Where—? How—?" She cleared her throat. "How did you come by it?"

"Easy," I grinned all cocky-like, crossin' my arms. "I killed the guy who used it! Why'd ya ask?"

"I—" Sybil began.

"Get moving, chatterboxes!" Mal yelled. "Only one mega-destruction gun should be allowed and Jayne gets to use it; period!"

"'Jayne'?" Sybil actually looked like a normal girl when she gave that sweet little pout. "Aw…but Roberto—"

"Sorry, girlie," I patted her shoulder. "You're just to _gorram_ dangerous!"

Zoe jolted and studied her, pushin' Xǐ behind her. "What did Jayne mean—?"

"Oh, look at the time," Sybil grabbed my hand and began to drag me towards the stairs. "Cobb, why don't you accompany me to my room to get my handgun, yes?"

"But you—" I began. I knowed her handgun was on her ruttin' left thigh; I could feel it when we were all cozy last night!

But did she let me answer? No, she went and gorram kissed me right smack on the mouth—and not one of 'em quick ones, either. Thank the Lord Almighty Mal was not there to see it…but Zoe was.

"Let's go now, okay?" she asked when she pulled away. Ha, was she lookin' breathless right then?

Me, I said somethin' all intelligent like, "Uh…hubba...w-whatta...whuh?"

Sybil glared at me.

"Oh yeah," I shook my head. "Gun….yeah, got it—I mean, get it! Yeah, let's go get the gun!" I shimmied up them stairs before the crew could get a hold of what happened, half-draggin' the poor girl behind me.

* * *

"Mind explainin' _now_ what all that was about?" I asked, fingers fidgetin' as I gripped Vera tightly.

"Shh!" She glared at me. "If we are to be a stealth mission, we should concentrate on being furtive, not on the past!"

"How 'bout your beautifully, practically exposed body?" I asked all cocky-like with a grin. "That's a lot better, ain't it?" You couldn't blame me if you were me. (Then again, that'd be stupid, blamin' yourself, I mean.) Her shirt and skirt were both mini, skin showin' at her slim mid-section and her smooth legs. Just thinkin' 'bout what I could do to her—oh, the mind-blowin' images!

"Ugh! Cobb!" she all but whined like a kid. "Honestly, I—"

"What?" I shrugged innocently. "It's in the past now, ain't it? Don't—"

"Ugh!" she turned 'round all huffy. That didn't stop her from wrappin' her arms protectively 'round her waist.

Voices appeared from the hallway behind me.

Sybil tensed. "This is why I warned against infiltrating the house during a party!" she hissed.

"Now where's the fun in that?" I asked, smirkin'. "Here." I yanked Sybil into a closet.

"Cobb?!" she yelped. Oh, the cute, blushy face she made, ya'd think I was tryin' to pull somethin' on her!

I moved her aside, opened the door, and hit the two people outside with Vera. I admired my handiwork and Sybil crept out. "Strip 'em."

"What?!" Her eyes bugged out. "This is not how I—!" She stopped, tryin' to regain her self-control. "Very well then, but the question remains: where will you change?"

"In there, same as you," I told her as I quickly pulled off the man's clothing. I turned to Sybil. "Where'll we—?"

_Gorram_ girl thought of everythin'. She was already dumpin' a half-naked woman into the garbage chute. "Done," she clapped her hands, as if tryin' to remove dirt. "Wait outside, will you?"

"Why?" I smirked. "You afraid I'll see your—?"

"For all you're worth, not much essentially, I'd hate to splatter you," Sybil nodded, then paused thoughtfully. "not really, actually." She went into the closet. She peeked out. "And I kid you not , I _will_ if you come inside." She shut the door.

I waited for about five minutes of grunting and curses then I silently slipped in, knowin' I was probably gonna get a slit throat or a bullet through the heart for this.

Sybil'd already put the dress on from the bottom, but she was tryin' to get slip her left arm through the sleeves. Her top area was completely bare, it seemed, though she faced away from me. Good, her gun was on the floor to the side.

I snuck behind her. Sybil noticed I was there a second too late. I was onto her before she could react, wrappin' one of my arms 'round her waist, the other grabbin' her hand, flicking out the hidden razor, aimin' it at my own throat.

"C-Cobb?! What the _xuèxīng dì dìyù_ are you—?" she stammered. Ha! So much for the deadly girl image.

"What? You gonna splatter me now?" I hissed in her ear with a grin. "_Do it_." I could almost hear her heart pounding fast, se the pulse leap in her neck, _feel_ the rush runnin' through her veins. A chill ran up my back. "I'm waitin'." I pressed the blade against my neck.

"I—" She gripped her fist and furrowed her brow, lookin' as if she really was gonna follow my suggestion, but somethin' seemed to be holdin' her back. Hmm, I wonder what that could be? And why'd she only twitch?

I laughed, nippin' her ear lightly. "Can't do it, can ya?"

"w-We have a mission," she hissed through grit teeth. "Focus on that now, and I will, rest assured, kill you later!"

I flicked the blade back into its hidin' place, then grabbed the neckline of the dress and stuffed the arm I was holdin' into it. Then I repeated the whole _gorram_ process with her other one. "Figures I'd know more about lady clothes than ya," I laughed. "Don't tell me you're secretly a _guy?!"_

"After the stunt you pulled off just now," Sybil snapped, a little red in her half-embarrassed-half-angry face. "You now know I am a girl without the slightest doubt!" Man, that face can really get cute… especially when she looks like that!

She reached for her back to tie the ribbons, but I spun her 'round to face me and repaid an earlier debt by kissin' her straight up on the mouth.

She actually lived the moment, goin' with whatever my lips molded onto hers 'til she suddenly went and pulled away, lookin' as if she'd done somethin' illegal. "Cobb," she sounded like se was tryin' to hold somethin' back. "Can't you not ever focus on your mission instead of _tā mā de_ screwing around? Malcolm is waiting for us to check—"

"Well, how can I concentrate with this," I motioned to her, emphasizing her really low neckline, "is gonna be walkin' around with me?"

"Get dressed, will ya?" Sybil snapped. Man, I tell ya, she sure looked cute with that red tint on her face!

"You gonna stay and watch?" I asked all cocky-like. "I told ya once, I was gonna should you I really am a guy…despite m'name!"

She stiffened. "Ugh!" Sybil rolled her eyes when she got over the shock and stormed out. When the door closed, I began to change outta my old clothes when I her grunting, cries of pain, and all this splatterin'.

I walked out once I was done. "Hey! Well whaddaya know? It's actually fits!" You'd say that too if you were a full foot taller than the guy!" "Hey—Uh…." I gawked at the five dead party guests.

"Not from the pants it don't—I-I mean it doesn't." She walked over to me. "Pull it down a little." She grasped my beltline and began sliding it down a little.

"Woman, don'cha think that we'd better do that in private?" I winked.

Sybil froze. "Uh—! Oh, for _tiāntáng hé dìyù de yuángù_, just fix it!" She let go and stomped off angrily.

I laughed and followed her. Man, I hoped she'd stay on _Serenity_ for a while; I hadn't had this much fun since that time with the whore from Nandi's ranch!

* * *

"Okay, look for a guy with—" I started.

"There!" Sybil pointed, clutchin' my arm. Of course, to enter a fancy shindig like this, we had to go as dates…it only looked natural! Anyway, a man— in his what? Late thirties? Forties?—was surrounded by a bunch of pretty women, lucky _hùn zhàng_, none lookin' as good as Sybil tho'.

I pulled Sybil towards me like I was gonna kiss her again, except this time my lips found her ear. "Untie your hair," I whispered to her.

"What?!" Sybil pulled away slightly and glared pointedly. "You nuts? I know what you imply; I can't go over _there_, he'd—"

I yanked the ribbon from her hair, the one holdin' her ponytail in place, hair tumbin' down down her smooth, almost bare shoulders. How did I even manage to control myself? Anyhow, I nudged her towards the man. "Well? Go on."

She glared at me. "Ugh. Fine then…you're droolin' though." She regained her composure and walked towards him almost like one of them royal ladies.

I checked 'round my mouth when she'd gone. "'Droolin'?' Ha!" I shook my head. "What a load of _fèihuà_!" I checked her out from afar.

Sybil was walkin' right past the man, barely even glancin' at him once. What the _dìyù_ was she thinkin'—?! Wait a _gorram_ minute—Now I knowed what she wanted. The slow way she walked, twirlin' her hair with her finger, swayin' her hips—she was tryin' to make him follow her! And, man, was she _gorram_ good at it, too. She'd barely passed him and he was on his feet, followin' her. It took everything I had to _not_ follow her!

I reached for my walkie-talkie thingy. "Mal," I whispered. "He's on the balcony, pickup needed in five." I put the thing away and pushed through the thick crowd. Kinda hard to stay focused when all these girls started to try to get me to their tables.

I somehow managed to get through, heard several sounds of a scuffle, opened the door to the balcony, get, then quickly shut the door, and turned what I saw what happened while I was gone.

One main thing there was the man down, head bleedin' a bit. But what really caught my attention was Sybil, a mini-statue of some guy's, maybe a president's, head with blood (Hmm…?) in her hand, and her dress collar was halfway down to her elbows, only _gorram_ reason I didn't see anything worth seein' is cause Sybil was graspin' the front tryin' to hold it up. I figured with a bust like hers, she'd hold up that dress better, I would know, 'till I saw the ribbons had been untied at the back…or ripped more like it.

Sybil jolted when she saw me, almost droppin' her hold on the dress, woulda been fine by me, though. "Well don't just stand there!" she shrieked, turnin' as red as blood itself. "Pick 'im up!"

"Here, don't want you settin' my hormones off," I tossed "my" suit's jacket at her. _Too late for that,_ I thought, but that I kept to myself. Then I slung the guy over my shoulder.

"Thank you," she told me all huffy.

"What it necessary to kill him?" I asked innocently.

"He's not dead you idiot!" Sybil snapped. Oh boy, I just _had_ to get her angry more often if I ever want to see that beautiful expression!

"Mal," I called into the walkie-talkie. "Guess what? We're ready for pickup."

"Copy that, Jayne." Did I just call Zoe 'Mal'? _Oops._

_Serenity_ flew in right on time, Simon peeking out into the open from some hatch they'd opened up. "Put the ropes around him!" On cue, that's what fell.

I tied the rope loosely around the guy's neck making a face at Sybil.

She rolled her eyes and took off my handiwork, had trouble with the knot, and put it 'round his chest. "Go! We're all set!" Sybil yelled up at Simon.

Simon nodded and began to pull him up; usin' some machine he had to help him.

An alarm sounded as soon as the guy was pulled up. (Was that a coincidence?)

"Go on," Sybil motioned to the rope that'd come down. "You first."

"Nuh-uh," I shook my head.

"Then how are we supposed to—whoa!" I slung Sybil over my shoulder before she could finish and grabbed the rope.

When we were now back in the ship, I put her down, then all of us there all jerked back; Zoe was zoomin' us outta the atmosphere. Too bad she ain't a god driver like Wash was. Aw, I miss the man...we all do.

"Simon, take him and open him up," Mal came down the stairs with new orders as usual. Taking a peek at the man, Mal said, "He looks dead, so don't use up any anesthesia….unless he wakes up. Then you kill him." He attacked Sybil. "You not hurt are you? Did Jayne behave? If he didn't, tell me so I can—"

"I'm fine." Sybil pushed him away and started to sniff the air. "You used the knockout gas I gave you on the passengers," she said, apparently amazed. "Just like I told you to! Strange, you hardly ever liked to—"

I froze as she continued to rant about him. Hold up. She told the _Cap_, of all people, what to do? I peered at him, hopin' it ain't true. The embarrassed look on his face proved Sybil was right.

"I going to turn in for the night," Sybil announced, snappin' me from my own little world. She took off her bag, pulled out my original cloths, and tossed 'em to me. Then she took off the jacket and then that at me, too...but with a grateful smile (Was the world ending?) on her face. "Thanks again, Cobb." She walked up the stairs and outta sight.

Zoe and Kaylee came down, lookin' back as they stared at Sybil.

"Um…why is she all…?" Kaylee began, still smilin', though awkwardly, that smile I loved so much 'til that Simon Tam had to damn go on and take her from me. But all's in the past and forgiven, eh…not really; I still had Sybil…unless the Cap had somethin' goin' on there…then that'd be a real—

"No reason," I interrupted Kaylee.

First mistake. Zoe raised an eyebrow. "Really, Jayne? I think—"

"A word Jayne," Mal said in that special little voice he used on smooth talkin' girls…or to people he was gonna kill in the next seconds. "_Alone_." Seeing as the first option didn't work well with me, 'less the Cap was a homo, then it'd be legit, but I guessed I was probably gonna have to play safe on this guy.

Zoe, Kaylee, and Simon charged up the stairs without questions, Simon pathetically tryin' to haul the body on up.

"Alright, Jayne, did you do that…uh…, you know what to my—Sybil?" Mal corrected himself at the last second but I caught it…so did an eavesdroppin' Inara who listened sittin' on the stairs. Should I've told Mal about her? I guess I…Nah, what he don't know, don't kill him.

"If you're talkin' 'bout her niceness to me, yes," I explained. "If ya mean the ripped dress and the showin'—"

"_Jayne_." I was on a cliff edge here.

"No," I grinned. "It was the guy we brought on board. Sorry 'bout that, but she escaped my sight." I didn't say that that incident was my fault, I didn't plan to. Sybil'd not sayin' anything cuz I figured she'd be my new partner in crime considerin' what she did for me in the mornin'.

Mal nodded slowly. "Let me set a few things straight here, Imma give you a personal request, threat really, but who cares?: Do _anything_ at all to Sybil, flirt, touch, kiss, etc, I will space you, mark my words."

"Mal, if ya darn care so much," I crossed my arms and dropped the grin. "Why do ya protect her so _gorram_ much? Got any connections I shoulda knowed about?"

Mal froze and looked away, embarrassed. "Uh…no comments—just go to your room; early lights out, Captain's orders." He walked toward the stairs. I could hear a slight rustlin' Mal can't been able to hear; Inara left. He paused and called, "Just remember what I said: you do, I space." With that happy good night, he disappeared.

I shook my head and laughed. If Mal had some romantic connection at all to Sybil—Nah, I couldn't think about it. Me an' the Cap have been real tight since I joined his crew…eh, not really, but still…if it came to it, I…I figure I'd actually kill Mal before I'd let him take this girl away from me. Yeah, that's right. One girl was all it took for my loyalties to change. Forget Mal, Sybil was my new world; my moon, my sky, the two things I treasured most other than her. I'd kill him alright, without any hesitation. That I swear on my blood.

* * *

Uh...a little intense...Man! I wish i'd made a longer chapter, what say you, peeps? Well, see yas! Peace, and God bless!

Dina G.


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